Frank



(NoModelL) F. X. OWESNEY. RAILWAY RAIL FASTENING.

No. 416,342. Patented Dec 8, 1889.

BY ,g z wig A TTOH/VEY5 I Illur. h

U ITED ST TES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK OlVESNEY, OF CANTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ARTHUR J. MEALAND, OF SAME PLACE.

RAILWAY-RAIL FASTENING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 416,342, dated December 3, 1889. Application filed August 28,1889. Serial No. 322,225. (No model.)

T0 on whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK X. OWEsNEY, a

"citizen of the United States, residing at Can- I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, in which- Figure l is a isometrical View showing the railway-rails properly attached together. Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing the retaining bar or plate in position to beforced into place to lock the bolts. Fig. 3 is a transverse section through line as 00, Fig. 2, showing a pair of tongs in proper position to force the retainin g bar or plate against the railway-rail. Fig. 4 is a detached view of the retaining bar or plate, showing its springs. Fig. 5 is a view of a portion of a plate, showing two of the bolts. Fig. 6 is a side View of a portion of a railwayrail, showing two slots. Fig.7 is an edge View of the retaining bar or plate. Fig. 8 is a View showing a modified form of bolt. Fig. 9 is a view of a portion of a plate, showing the bolt rigidly attached thereto;

The present invention has relation to railway-rail fastenings; and it consists in the different parts and combination of parts hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all figures of the drawings.

In the accompanying drawings, A represents the railway-rails, which are constructed in the ordinary manner and are provided at their ends with the ordinary elongated slots a.

The plate B is provided with screw-threaded apertures, which are for the purpose of receiving the screw-threaded ends of the bolts '1). The bolts 1) are provided with a round or full portion 0, which portions are calculated and designed to fill the elongated slots a from the top to the bottom or the shortest distance of said elongated slots, and thereby prevent any unevenness of the joints;

For the purpose of providing a means for turning the bolts 19 one of their ends is formed square or angular, so that a wrench may be applied.

The retaining bar or plate 0 is provided with theapertures d, which are formed large enough to admit of the passage of the boltheads (1. The elongated slots (Z lead from the apertures d and are substantially of the form shown in the drawings, and are for the purpose of receiving the flattened portion of the bolts 12, as hereinafter described.

The springs D are located substantially as illustrated in Fig. 4, and are for the purpose of holding the retaining bar or plate in the position shown in Fig. 1. In the drawings twosprings are shown; but it will be understood that a greater or less number may be used, if desired.

For the purpose of causing the plate B and the retaining bar or plate O to press tightly against the sides of the railway-rails A, and thereby prevent any lateral displacement of the rails at their joints, the inclined ledges f are provided, which press or bear against the inner ends of the heads 61'.

In use the bolts are first properly attached to the plate B, when the railway-rails are placed in proper position and the bolts passed through the elongated slots a until the plate B comes against the sides of the railway-rail A, when the retaining bar or plate 0 is placed in the position shown in Fig. 2, thereby bringing the ends of the bolts 1) opposite the elongated slots d at which time the free ends of the springs press or bear against the bolts 22, when the retainting bar or plate is forced lengthwise until the ends of the bolts come opposite the apertures d, when by the use of I tongs E the retaining bar or plate 0 is pressed against the side of the railway-rail A and the retaining bar or plate released, when by the reaction of the springs D said retaining bar or plate will be forced endwise and the flattened portions of the bolts 12 will be received into the elongated slots (1 thereby securely and firmly locking the bolts 1). It will be seen that by the reaction of the springs D the bolts Z2 will at all times be held in the elongated. slots (1 and in the event the bolts should reach theclosed end of the elongated slots d from long use the retaining bar or plate C may be removed and the bolts 12 screwed farther into the plate 13 and again placed in proper position.

For the purpose of providing a means for compressing the springs D, the pin 6, or its equivalent, is provided, so that a crow-bar may he used in bringing theheads of the bolts b opposite the apertures (Z. In case but one spring is used it should be of suiiicient strength to securely hold the retaining bar or plate in proper position.

In the drawings one of the springs is shown partly inclosed; but this is not necessary, as the spring will be securely confined by means of the railway-railA and the retainingbar or plate 0, When said retaining bar or plate is placed in proper position to lock the bolts 1).

It will be seen that the spring or springs will at all times hold the bolts 1) in the slots (1 and any jar of passing trains will have a tendency to tighten the bolts Z), and also to compress the plate B and the retaining bar or plate 0 against the railway-rail A by means of the bolt-head coming in contact with the inclined ledges f.

In Figs. 8 and 1) modified forms of bolts are shown. In one instance the bolts are provided with heads, which heads are countersunk into the plate 13, as illustrated in Fig. 8, and as illustrated in Fig. 9 the bolts are shown rigidly attached to the plate 13.

In the drawings helical springs are shown; but it will be understood other forms of springs can be used Without departing from the nature of my invention.

Having fully described my invention, What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of. the railway-rails A, the plate L, the retaining bar or plate C,provided with the apertures (7,, and the elongated slots (1 adapted to receive the flattened portions of the bolts 1), and the springs D, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination of the railway-rails A, the plate B, provided with screw-threaded apertures adapted to receive the screw-threaded ends of the bolts 1), the bolts 1), the retaining bar or plate 0, provided with the apertures d and slots (1 and the inclined ledges f, the springs D, adapted to hold the bolts in the slots (1 substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. The combination of the railway-rails A, the plate B, the retaining bar or plate C, provided with the apertures d and the elongated slots (1*, the bolts 1), having flattened portions and provided with the heads cl, and the springs D, adapted to hold the bolts 1) in the slots (1*, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony that I claim the above I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

FRANK X. O\VESNEY.

\Vitnesses:

E. G. LANE, F. W. Bonn. 

